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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024046">From Tempted Hands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourierNinetyTwo/pseuds/CourierNinetyTwo'>CourierNinetyTwo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, includes NSFW illustration</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:00:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourierNinetyTwo/pseuds/CourierNinetyTwo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gamlen tries to throw a party in the estate, Hawke needs a way to kick him out. Athenril has a delightful solution.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Athenril/Female Hawke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>From Tempted Hands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For ImprobableIntellect, who also got an illustration for this story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hawke," Athenril grunted, "I have affection for you that would make the Maker frown and Andraste blush, but I don't think this is going to fit."</p><p>"Oh, it'll fit." Hawke chuckled. "You just need to put your back into it."</p><p>"Put <em> your </em> back into it," the elf countered, "it's wider than mine."</p><p>The clever little tunnel under the Amell estate was that exactly: well-designed and hidden, but meant for people and not cargo. Hawke wedged her elbows in as tightly as she could while keeping hold of the wooden box, stepping backwards through the dark until the back of her boot bumped against the door. With a hard shove, it opened, brass hinges crying out for mercy.</p><p>They emerged intact, and Athenril's eyes swept around the room, marking the exits and piercing the shadows. "This is nice. Especially for a basement."</p><p>"Tells you that whoever ran the place before me had secrets to keep, huh?" A smile pulled at Astrid's mouth, drawing one of her scars tight. "So what's in this troublesome little box?"</p><p>"Some very fine Orlesian jewelry of dubious origin." Athenril tapped the wooden lid with a finger. "Every noble here will pay to have their ears and throats dripping with gold, but cargo like this is the worst to keep track of."</p><p>Hawke frowned. "Worse than nugs? Or that weird Nevarran perfume? Why?"</p><p>"Because jewelry like this is small and light. That means a rival can run off with a single box and bankrupt me for a month... or some new hire of mine might decide to try their luck by lifting a piece or two. It's hard to catch, unless you want to count earrings every night."</p><p>Athenril had a terrifying amount of patience when it came to screwing her competition over, but Hawke knew she'd prefer to spend her time otherwise. "I never thought of that."</p><p>"That's because you're a terrible thief." Delight flashed through Athenril's eyes. "In fact, I think you're the only smuggler I've had that never tried to steal from me."</p><p>"I wasn't a thief to begin with," Hawke answered with a laugh. "Not to mention, I was trying to get on your good side."</p><p>In the half-light, she caught a knowing glint in Athenril's gaze, and took a step forward. Their mouths met in a kiss, firm but brief—far too brief for Hawke's liking. She liked to linger against the other woman's lips, exchanging teasing heat until one of them broke away to demand even more. </p><p>"In the basement?" Athenril mumbled, amused. "Don't you have a very flashy house to show me around?"</p><p>Hawke smirked. "Says the elf who's pulled me into many a dark corner to see how fast she can get my smallclothes off."</p><p>"Celebrations call for special circumstances." Despite the protest, slender fingers traced down the back of Hawke's tunic, finding the hem before slipping underneath. "But sometimes, you just want clean sheets and a pillow that won't poke you through the eye with straw."</p><p>"So you're assuming my new bed is nice?" Hawke pressed a kiss to Athenril's cheek, then the point of her jaw. "That I brought you here to spoil you?"</p><p>"I know your new bed is nice." Nails lightly scraped up Hawke's spine, tracing scars and skin alike. "Because otherwise you'd be complaining about how uptown nobles don't know how to live."</p><p>"They <em> don't</em>," Hawke muttered, breath hot against Athenril's ear. The elf shivered. "They glared at my mabari, and complained about how many weapons I had hauled into the house."</p><p>"Simpletons," Athenril teased back, then tensed. "Did you hear that?"</p><p>After straining to listen, Hawke frowned. "Hear what?"</p><p>"Astrid, it's very hard to focus when your mouth is there." The other woman stepped back, the pleasant friction of her nails fading. "There's someone upstairs."</p><p>Adrenaline spilled through Hawke's blood, sharpening her senses, and this time she heard the scrape of shoes on wood. It wasn't just one set of footsteps either—at least three. "Think someone came to pick the place clean?"</p><p>"Either that, or you're being harassed by the guards already." Athenril drew a knife out from where it was tucked under her tunic, a leather sheath hidden tight along her hip. With a flick of her wrist, it was hidden back behind her arm. "Let's find out."</p><p>Hawke regretted leaving her good sword upstairs, but she still had a dagger on hand: it was only sensible. "Lead the way? You'll hear them first."</p><p>The elf nodded, then slipped up the stairs without a sound. She followed with care, letting the natural bend of the wood muffle her footsteps to avoid any creaks. After Athenril wedged herself past the door, Hawke followed suit, ready to drive her blade into the first thief that wasn't smart enough to turn tail.</p><p>Except who she found was Gamlen, chatting with a trio of men wearing imported Antivan silks accented with noble Kirkwall arrogance. Her uncle was in slightly different clothes than usual—outside his budget and ill-fitting, which meant he had probably begged or borrowed them off someone else.</p><p>"Heritage is important," Gamlen declared, impossibly smug. "That's why I want to see the Amells repair their old connections, rather than catering to all this...new blood."</p><p>He could just say <em> elves </em> and <em> qunari</em>, Hawke thought irritably, but something about spelling out the prejudice was rude.</p><p>"I'm glad to see you've still got your sense, Gamlen," one of the nobles replied, then dropped his voice to a dramatic, conspiratorial whisper. "We'd heard some foul rumors, but surely they were just slandering your character."</p><p>Oh, this was enough. By the Maker, it was <em> worse </em> than thieves. "Ga-"</p><p>A bump against Hawke's elbow cut her off, and she whipped around to find Varric, his face with set with deep amusement. "Finally showed up to your own party, huh, Hawke?"</p><p>"What party?" She hissed, low with annoyance.</p><p>"I was about to ask the same," Athenril chimed in.</p><p>"Uncle Cheap Pints over there ran up and down the noble quarter last night, bribing every heir and scion that would listen to him for more than five minutes. Said the Amells are rich again, and they were all invited." </p><p>"Including you?" Hawke asked. It was the only bit of entertainment she found in the whole situation.</p><p>Varric shrugged. "I was listening in, that's all. Thought I'd invite myself in case you managed to get into trouble."</p><p>"<em> Me? </em>I don't have anything to do with this nonsense he's put together." Hawke groaned, sheathing her knife. She wanted to wallop Gamlen, but stabbing her uncle in front of Kirkwall's gentry wouldn't end well. "I just want them all out of my house."</p><p>"Could call the guard on them," Varric muttered, eyes flickering towards Gamlen. "But it'd cause a scene. They might drown you in paperwork."</p><p>She should have just stayed in the basement. "What's my other option? Wait until they get bored and leave?"</p><p>Athenril pressed in beside her, silent and graceful as a cat. It was distracting, in the best of ways. "I could encourage them to leave."</p><p>"Stabbing them is only going to get <em> you </em> in trouble," Hawke muttered.</p><p>"And if one of those gold-tongued half-wits mistakes you for a servant, you'd be obliged to stab them," Varric chimed in.</p><p>The subtle twitch of tension along Athenril's thumb was proof enough; she could nail a Wicked Grace card to a wall across the room with a knife.</p><p>"I was going for something that would result in a few less insults against my shining character," Athenril replied with a raised brow. "Let's go upstairs, Hawke."</p><p>Hawke frowned. "And leave a pack of nobles leaning on my furniture while Gamlen lies his way back into their graces?" </p><p>"Let's go <em> upstairs</em>, Hawke." Athenril's emphasis had a certain heat and steel, pulling her right in. "And you're not invited, Tethras."</p><p>The dwarf put up his hands in mock surrender, offering a relaxed smile. "I'd never get between a woman and her...knife. Better that I stay and make sure Gamlen doesn't find the bottle of Carnal 8:69 that Hawke stashed down here."</p><p>Hawke's eyes narrowed. "How do you even know about that?"</p><p>Varric's shrug offered no answers, and Athenril's hand on her wrist was enough of a distraction that she let the argument drop. Smug laughter from Gamlen and the nobles carried all the way up the stairs, but there was no break in the sound. They were so busy puffing up each other's egos that the actual owner of the house passing by didn't draw even a blink of attention.</p><p>Curiosity got the better of Hawke by the time they reached her bedroom. "What are we doing? Dropping on them from the balcony?"</p><p>"I have a feeling all the blood that should be in your brain is still between your thighs," Athenril quipped, pushing the door open, "but for what I intend, it's hard to complain."</p><p>Before Hawke could ask for a touch more clarity, the elf grabbed her by the tunic and dragged her inside. The door was shoved shut with the heel of Athenril's boot, and Hawke's next question was cut off with a kiss.</p><p>"You are wearing far too many clothes," Athenril muttered against Hawke's lips, dextrous fingers tugging her belt open.</p><p>"This isn't a plan," Hawke said, although she certainly didn't resist when Athenril pulled her tunic up towards her shoulders. "You just brought me up here to continue what we had going in the basement."</p><p>The other woman raised an eyebrow. "You insult my ingenuity, little bird. They're one and the same."</p><p>Once the thick fabric was over her head and swiftly abandoned, Hawke shook her mussed bangs out of her face. "What about us going to bed is going to run off those noble pricks?"</p><p>"Because nothing flusters them more than an elf having a good time," Athenril replied with a smirk, "and nothing will ruin Gamlen's plans faster than trying to explain why his party's being interrupted."</p><p>A bark of laughter escaped Hawke's lips, ardent delight pouring through her body like liquid gold. "You're awful."</p><p>"And you love it, so get my clothes off." Athenril raised her arms, and Hawke eagerly complied, letting her warm red tunic join the darker one on the floor. "They interrupted <em> us</em>, after all."</p><p>Hawke's fingers went to the band of cloth guarding Athenril's breasts next, her knuckles brushing the pendants draped around the elf's neck. She liked the jewelry, smooth stone and carved bone, a splash of dark color against Athenril's pale skin. Yet her favorite piece had to be the little silver bars that capped the other woman's breasts, subtle piercings that responded excellently to being touched.</p><p>They were so reactive, it had convinced Hawke to get her own set. Athenril had taken her to another elf that specialized in such things, and even held her hand through the twin stings of pain. Hawke had been bashed with shields and cut with blades too many times to count, but from Athenril, the gesture displayed a kindness the other woman rarely exposed in public. It made the weeks of healing afterwards more than worth it.</p><p>She drew Athenril into a deep kiss, walking back towards the bed. Her trousers were tugged down along the way, and Hawke kicked them off her ankles before sinking into the heavy crimson comforter. It really <em> was </em> a nice bed, probably the nicest she would see in her life, and having Athenril on it made the experience all the sweeter.</p><p>Getting the elf completely naked took some jostling of knees and elbows, especially since Athenril seemed just as determined to strip off her smallclothes. Hawke tugged Athenril all the way into her lap, hands finding purchase on the curve of her lover's ass, offering the warm swell of muscle a teasing squeeze.</p><p>"You have figured out the finer details of this plan, haven't you?" Hawke asked into another kiss, letting out a groan when Athenril's teeth nipped at her lower lip, then sucked. "Unless you're just going to pretend to be loud."</p><p>"I shouldn't have to pretend anything," Athenril countered, sounding deeply amused. "Someone promised to spoil me, and she had better do a good job."</p><p>Hawke wanted to tease Athenril about any number of assumptions, but there were much, much better ways to indulge in said teasing. Her fingers traced up Athenril's spine, caressing between her shoulder blades and back down the elf's arms, tracing subtle muscle and the ink decorating Athenril's skin in indelible blue. She followed the highlight of her collarbones down to Athenril's breasts, giving one of her necklaces a tender flick along the way.</p><p>"Be nice to the merchandise," Athenril chastised, although desire bled dark through her eyes. "Unless you want me playing with <em> your </em> pretty bits like that."</p><p>"I have never been more conflicted in my entire life," Hawke answered with a grin. "But let me make it up to you."</p><p>She bowed her head, taking one of Athenril's nipples into her mouth. The soft pink swell immediately stiffened, letting her work her tongue against the rounded ends of the bar. Athenril's hiss of pleasure was paired with the elf's fingers sinking into dark hair, trying to keep her close, and Hawke couldn't help a smile.</p><p>It was a slow, indulgent delight. She moved from one breast to the other, keeping her hands occupied by drawing her nails up the back of Athenril's thighs, or tightening her grip on the elf's hips when they started to shift. Athenril's breath quickened, catching in her throat every time Hawke sucked and kissed at sensitive skin. With every subtle sound forced from her lips, Hawke wanted even more, desire rising through her like a wave.</p><p>She released the bar between her lips, attention flickering upward to Athenril's burnished green eyes. "Turn around."</p><p>"In your lap?" Athenril asked breathlessly.</p><p>It was a fair question, but Hawke was short on patience. She kneeled back further on the bed and turned Athenril herself, bringing the elf's back to her chest. The brief contact between their bodies sent an answering ache between her own thighs, but she would deal with that later. "Like this."</p><p>"Someone's demand—<em>ah</em>." Athenril's comment was cut off by Hawke's mouth on her ear, hot breath spilling across the pointed tip. "Mm. I suppose if you keep doing that, you can demand whatever you want."</p><p>"That was the idea," Hawke replied, bringing her hands around to cup both of Athenril's breasts. "I want you dripping wet before I give you what you're really looking for."</p><p>She might not have been able to translate the rough elven curse Athenril growled in response to that, but the tone behind it was explanation enough. Hawke kissed down the back of Athenril's ear while toying with the piercings, rolling warm metal and hard nipples between her calloused fingertips. A throaty moan escaped between Athenril's clenched teeth, back arching like a bow drawn taut.</p><p>"That's what I want to hear," Hawke whispered, grinding her hips against Athenril from behind. "I love when you're loud. We usually can't get away with it."</p><p>One hand released Athenril's breast to travel lower, stroking down the plane of her stomach to the faint wisp of blonde curls between her thighs. Hawke felt the heat there before her fingers even made contact, and a cursory touch left her fingers slick with arousal. Now it was her turn to curse, dazed by the knowledge of how much Athenril wanted, no—<em>needed</em>—her.</p><p>"Not to be too particular," Athenril murmured, leaning back against Hawke, "but if you're going to have me from behind, do it properly."</p><p>Hawke was about to ask what that meant when Athenril's hand seized her wrist, guiding that hand back around her thigh. When her fingers met swollen folds again, this time truly from behind, Hawke smirked. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be a bit of a pillow princess, Athenril?"</p><p>"No," the elf replied swiftly, "because I give as good as I get, and you should know that better than anyone. Bed me right, and you'll get your share."</p><p>"Oh, I'm not looking to trade," Hawke said playfully, nibbling at the lobe of Athenril's ear and startling another moan from the other woman's lips. "I'll keep taking you until all of Kirkwall knows what we're up to."</p><p>"They'll know you're mine," Athenril gasped, "is that really what you want?"</p><p>It was a strange question to ponder as she slipped a finger inside Athenril, half-distracted from any sort of answer by the tight heat clinging around her. They had fallen together—after a fashion—back before she was anyone, just another refugee on Kirkwall's terrible docks. Without Athenril, Hawke wasn't sure if she'd ever have gotten through those damn gates. Maybe this house never would have been hers.</p><p>"Of course it's what I want," Hawke whispered against the curve of Athenril's neck, sinking another finger inside her, until both were knuckle-deep. "There's no shame in being yours."</p><p>Athenril's shaky inhale was echoed lower in her body, clenching tight around Hawke's fingers. "Some would argue otherwise."</p><p>"Fuck them," Hawke growled, "and not in the way I'm about to very much enjoy doing to you."</p><p>That earned a laugh, followed by a moan as she started to move. It was a simple, primal joy to spread Athenril open, for that giving and dripping heat to stretch around her hand with every thrust. Hawke began slow but deep, peppering kisses—and the occasional bite mark—along the other woman's shoulder. A teasing nip at Athenril's ear drew out a gasp, but sucking hard wrenched an entirely different sound of the elf's throat, low and needy.</p><p>"Touch me," Athenril hissed, dragging Hawke's free hand back to her breasts. "Don't you dare stop."</p><p>She hadn't planned on it, not when each push or curl of her fingers made Athenril even louder. Hawke felt Athenril's every ragged breath under the palm of her hand while teasing her breasts or drawing blunt nails down her stomach, and Athenril grasped anywhere she could reach in return. One tattooed hand delved back into her hair, gripping tight, as if desperate for an anchor. With the way Athenril's hips were jerking, she must have needed it.</p><p>  
</p>
<p>"Astrid—" There was nothing like Athenril's voice drenched in pleasure, every syllable of her name sticky with need. "<em>Harder</em>."</p><p>"You're going to make a mess of the sheets," Hawke replied with a teasing whisper. "I can feel it whenever I go deep."</p><p>Athenril's response was to claw at the hand playing across her hip, dragging Hawke's free fingers down towards her clit. Hawke didn't mind the flicker of pain, not when Athenril was so beautifully desperate, pushed beyond words. Her thrusts quickened, the muscles straining up her forearm throbbing with a pleasant ache, and Hawke rolled her thumb in firm circles around Athenril's clit, teasing just under the hood to the sensitive swell of nerves underneath.</p><p>"Astrid, <em> fuck</em>, Astrid..." Athenril's head bowed as release took her hard and fast, the rush of orgasm driving a sharp cry from her throat. The elf's hips bucked, knees twisting against silken sheets, but no matter how she thrashed, Hawke kept Athenril locked tight in the cradle of her arms, fingers swift and relentless. </p><p>She wasn't content with the single shout. Hawke pressed flush against Athenril's back, offering a rough whisper into her lover's ear. "Come on, give me more. I know you have more."</p><p>Hawke curled her fingers, pressing deep at a swollen spot deep inside the other woman, and Athenril surrendered again with a ragged groan of her name. Slick heat slowly dripped down her knuckles as Athenril's entire body trembled, grasping back at Hawke until her breath steadied from primal panting to a more even rhythm. Aftershocks of bliss rippled around Hawke's fingers, each more subtle than the last, but even that brief squeeze made Athenril gasp a curse.</p><p>"Pull out," Athenril managed to say, "or I'm going to lose my mind."</p><p>"That good, huh?" Hawke teased, but she immediately obeyed, withdrawing her fingers. She settled her hands on Athenril's hips instead, keeping the other woman balanced while she slowly fit her composure back together. "If we can always be like this, I think I like the house now."</p><p>Athenril managed a shaky laugh, letting her hips fall all the way down to the bed, legs folding underneath. "Then hopefully we've driven off your unwanted guests."</p><p>"If we haven't, I can always try again." Hawke grinned. "Listening to you is...inspiring."</p><p>She didn't expect Athenril to suddenly turn around, much less have the strength to push her down back-first against the pillows, but it happened in a blink. Athenril's eyes were dark with hunger, edging out vivid green to a slender halo of color. "Mm, you've had your fill, little bird. Now I'm going to have mine."</p><p>Hawke couldn't deny the heavy ache between her thighs, arousal sticking to her skin with every subtle movement against the bed. "Well, I like the sound of that."</p><p>"'Sound' is certainly my intention," Athenril murmured, tilting her head to kiss Hawke firmly on the lips. "Now spread those lovely legs of yours."</p><p>As she did, Athenril's knees fit between them, urging her even wider. The elf's tongue and teeth marked Hawke's throat like a brand, hot and quick with their descent. She kissed the sweat off Hawke's breasts, then sucked an aching nipple into her mouth. Hawke moaned, grasping at Athenril's shoulders and arching her back to encourage the touch. Every teasing flicker of the other woman's tongue felt like a bolt of lightning to the blood, electricity arcing down her spine and right to her clit.</p><p>"So much strength you have," Athenril whispered, kissing a trail of heat down Hawke's stomach, "melting away underneath me."</p><p>Hawke searched for a clever remark, but there was none to be had when Athenril's arms hooked under her thighs, drawing them up and over pale shoulders. The first broad sweep of Athenril's tongue against her clit was a blissful shock, only to be echoed twice over when Athenril wrapped her lips around the hood and gently sucked. Even with tender intentions, the feeling was intense enough to make Hawke's entire body ripple with need.</p><p>"Athenril," she fit the syllables together somehow, letting her hand slip down into the warm blonde strands of the elf's hair, "oh, Maker."</p><p>The other woman released her clit after a thoughtful hum, bright eyes flickering up to meet Hawke's with devilish intent. "Don't be thanking gods for my hard work."</p><p>Even a moment of the cool air against her slick folds and throbbing clit was enough to make Hawke squirm, but she couldn't get far with Athenril's clever hold. "My mistake. But don't just..."</p><p>"Just watch you writhe, eager for my mouth?" Athenril interrupted, not bothering to hide her delight. "Tempting as that would be, I do hate to change plans halfway in."</p><p>There was no more teasing when Athenril bowed her head again. She kissed and licked at Hawke's labia until her entire mouth was slick, then thrust her tongue deep. Hawke clenched around the hot, subtle pressure, grip tightening against the back of Athenril's head. A swift series of strokes made it feel like the other woman was <em> everywhere </em>, whipping up waves of pleasure until Hawke was sure to drown.</p><p>She was used to being quiet, always keeping one ear out for an interruption, but today Hawke refused to care. Every sound that rose in her throat, she let loose with abandon, binding every moan and gasp to Athenril's name. The elf even forced a few needy whimpers from her throat, painting tight little sigils with her tongue right where she needed it the most. Tension made Hawke tremble from hip to thigh, eager to spill free.</p><p>"Athenril, I'm so close, I'm so—" She was so close she could barely think.  There was only Athenril: her hands grasping tight, the glorious friction of her mouth, the ceaseless movement of her tongue. </p><p>Hawke drew in a quick breath, needing the air, needing the string drawn taut through her entire body to be plucked, and Athenril was there to answer. Orgasm washed everything from Hawke's mind but a deluge of ecstasy, her body consigned to instinct as she arched against Athenril's mouth and cried her pleasure to the rafters. Her heels dug into the bed, seeking the angle that would bring her hips closer, that would make sure Athenril's tongue never strayed, not even for a second.</p><p>By the time her senses came back—in fractured bits and pieces—Hawke had wholly collapsed on the bed, limbs slack and breath labored. Athenril nuzzled the inside of her thigh before shifting upward, sinuous as a serpent before she draped herself across Hawke's body. </p><p>"Hi there," Athenril whispered against her throat.</p><p>"Hi," Hawke echoed, stroking a finger down the back of Athenril's arm. She traced the faintly raised ink out of long habit, following blue whorls and hooks where they danced and delved around the other woman's skin. "That felt incredible."</p><p>Athenril buried her face in the curve of Hawke's neck, pressing a fond kiss to the pulse there, slowing with every breath. "It certainly did."</p><p>Hawke considered whether or not she could spend the rest of the day memorizing Athenril's ink and trading kisses. They would have to get up to eat at some point, but that point felt far away, beyond a late afternoon nap and maybe even breaking in the ridiculously fancy tub she'd found stashed in another room.</p><p>Then her bedroom door swung open like it had been struck by a battering ram.</p><p>In all fairness, Aveline was a lot more devastating than a battering ram, especially in full guard kit and armed to the teeth. </p><p>"Hawke, I've been hearing complaints for an hour. Screaming and strangers going into the house and—" Aveline's concern bled away in an instant, replaced by bone-deep exasperation. "Oh, for the Maker's sake, get some <em> clothes on</em>."</p><p>"I told you she was all right," Varric chimed in from behind, his boots visible in the wide V of Aveline's stance. "But you did terrify the nobles out of here, so excellent job, Captain! Worthy of a commendation."</p><p>"I'm offended," Athenril declared, sitting up and stretching. Hawke hid a smile when Aveline's eyes immediately averted, face turning a brilliant red. "If she scared them off, then our plan didn't work."</p><p>"What <em> plan</em>?" Aveline demanded. </p><p>Hawke drew half the sheet over herself before sitting up too. It didn't quite cover her completely—Athenril was pointedly sitting on the other half—but at least she wasn't baring everything she had for all the world to see. It might have been fun to fluster the captain, but Varric less so, and she didn't want Athenril chucking a knife at Aveline if her friend's gaze accidentally wandered.</p><p>"Gamlen invited a bunch of noble tightwads over here without asking," Hawke said, "so we thought we'd encourage them to leave."</p><p>"Shame is a fantastic motivator," Athenril added, lounging back against her arms. "But of course, a neighborhood like this wouldn't know screams of pain from screams of pleasure."</p><p>"Would you put some damned clothes on?" Aveline huffed. "Now that I know you're not bleeding out in a corner."</p><p>Athenril's eyes narrowed. "Or you could leave."</p><p>"We appreciate everyone's concern," Hawke chimed in. It wasn't subtle, but she'd rather cut through the tension than let a fight brew. "But I'd like to have a bath with Athenril and enjoy my house being empty."</p><p>"Come on, Captain." Varric took a step back from the doorway. "I'll treat you to a pint down the street. Hawke can pay me back for it later."</p><p>Hawke rolled her eyes, but didn't protest. Aveline took the opportunity to retreat gracefully without a word, but drew the door shut behind her with a little more force than may have been necessary. Athenril dropped her hackles in an instant, turning to look back at Hawke with half-lidded eyes. </p><p>"You said something about a bath?"</p><p>"Now that you've narrowly avoided being impaled by Aveline, yet again," Hawke muttered.</p><p>"Please, as if she could ever catch me." Athenril leaned over, kissing Hawke on the mouth. "And you'd never let me rot in prison."</p><p>That was certainly true. "I'm pretty sure you'd break out before I could mount a rescue."</p><p>"Of course, but that doesn't mean it isn't <em> nice </em> to be rescued." Athenril slipped off the bed, reaching her arms above her head in a slow stretch. Hawke followed the line of the other woman's body, from slender blue-inked fingertips to the muscle in Athenril's shoulders, tapering down her back to the pleasant curve of her ass and thighs. "Some of us never got to play damsel growing up."</p><p>Hawke knew that well enough, being the oldest of three. She had always fought first, worked first, shielded her siblings from the worst, until—</p><p>She swallowed roughly. This wasn't a day for those sorts of memories, not when she had a lovely evening with Athenril to look forward to.</p><p>"Astrid," the other woman's tone was uncharacteristically gentle, drawing her attention. "Come on. I need those big strong hands to draw up the water."</p><p>That drew a laugh from Hawke's lips, and she cast the sheet away. "That's why you keep me around, isn't it?"</p><p>"Your hands <em> were </em> the first thing I noticed about you," Athenril replied, eyes bright with a teasing glint, "although it didn't take long for my motives to wander."</p><p>"Ah yes, your <em> motives </em>." Hawke got out of bed, then wrapped Athenril in a tight hug from behind. The embrace was welcomed, Athenril's arms winding over her own. "How about I carry you to that bath?"</p><p>She felt the shiver of delight that went down Athenril's spine. "Now you're really spoiling me."</p><p>That was a 'yes' in disguise, so Hawke followed suit. It felt right to have Athenril's arms slip around her shoulders, their bodies fitting together again. She walked to the other room in a peaceful haze, curious how much noise could carry from the bathroom to the houses next door.</p><p>Well, they were sure to find out soon enough.</p><p>—</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Art by abysmal0 (https://twitter.com/abysmal0)!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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